Apparatus and method of deaerating viscous liquids



10, 1965 J- c. WITTWER 3,199,845

APPARATUS AND METHOD OF DEAERATING VISCOUS LIQUIDS Filed Jan. 18, 1965 llllllll FIG.2.

R mr e w t m C United States Patent 3,199,845 APPARATUS AND METHGD G1 DEAERA'IING VISCGUS LIQUIDS John C. Wittwer, RED. 2, Armeuk Road, Mount Kisco, N.Y. Filed Jan. 18, 1963, Ser. No. 252,391 7 Claims. (Cl. 25978) This invention relates to a means and method for removing air bubbles from viscous and other liquids during mixing or emulsifying procedure, and it has for one of its objects the provision of an arrangement by which the air bubbles will be brought to the surface of the mixture during the mixing procedure and will burst, thereby eliminating them from the mix.

In the production of mixed or emulsified products, the entrapment of air bubbles in the mixture results in the containers in which the material is subsequently placed being unequally filled. It is therefore desirable to insure filling the containers with equal quantities and equal weight of the contents and to secure such results the elimination of the air bubbles in the mixture is highly desirable. It is therefore one of the objects of the invention to provide a means and method for eliminating the air bubbles during the mixing operation.

More particularly, the invention contemplates the provision of a mixing chamber, tank or vessel in which one or more stirrers or mixers are rotatively operative and which chamber, vessel or tank is oscillated back and forth while the stirrers or mixers are in operation, with the rotative movements of the vessel being greater during each stroke in one direction than during each reverse stroke so that the vessel will be progressively moved for 360 or a complete revolution to repeat this procedure for the length of time required for the mixing operation while simultaneously eliminating the air bubbles from the mixture. While it is suggested that the vessel containing the material to be mixed shall be oscillated as above described, an alternate procedure is to maintain the vessel stationarily while oscillating the mixers or stirrers.

With these and other objects to be hereinafter set forth in view, I have devised the arrangement of parts and steps to be described and more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein an illustrative embodiment of the invention is disclosed,

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a container, vessel or tank for mixing or emulsifying liquids or viscous substances, with the vessel being mounted on an oscillating support, and

FIG. 2 is a sectional view, taken substantially on the line 22, looking in the direction of the arrows and with the mixers or stirrers indicated in dotted lines.

Referring to the drawing, 1 indicates a container, vessel or tank constituting a mixing chamber in which the materials 2 are adapted to be mixed or emulsified. Indicated at 3 and i are mixers or stirrers which rotate in and agitate the material and are mounted on a suitable operating head not shown but positioned above the top of the vessel 1 in the known manner. The stirrers or mixers 3 and 4 are preferably located to one side of the vertical axis of the vessel 1.

The vessel 1 is adapted to have an oscillating movement around its vertical axis and in order to impart such movement to the vessel there is provided an oscillating table or platform 5 upon which the vessel 1 is removably seated and engaged by means which will cause it to be oscillated in company with the table or platform 5.

The table or platform 5 and the vessel 1 resting upon it, are caused to have the oscillating movements to be described, by means of suitable gearing or other mechice anism housed within the base 6 which is rested upon a table or other supporting surface.

By reference to FIG. 2, the oscillatory movements unparted to the vessel 1 during the mixing operation, will be readily understood. The vessel 1 is progressively moved intermittently for 360, the series of movements in the same direction being for about one-eighth to one-fourth of the circumference of the vessel, each'of such movements being as indicated by the arrow 7 in FIG. 2. Alternating with the movements above described, and indicated as clockwise in FIG. 2, are shorter reverse or counter-clockwise movements as indicated by the arrow 8 in FIG. 2. That is to say, the vessel will rotatively move for relatively long distances on each stroke indicated by the arrow 7; then reverse its rotative movement on a return stroke for a shorter distance as indicated by the arrow 8; then again rotate for the longer distance, then reversely move for the shorter distance and continue this procedure until the vessel has traveled for the full 360 or until the desired mixing effect has been secured. During the oscillatory movements of the vessel 1, at which time the mixers or stirrers are in rotative operation, the air bubbles in the mixture 2 keep coming to the surface of the mixture and bursting, thus tending to materially eliminate the air in the mixture so that when the mixed material is filled in bottles or other containers, the assurrance of equal weight in each of the containers will be the result.

While I have herein suggested that the vessel 1 in which the material being mixed is oscillated, an alternative arrangement is one in which the vessel is maintained stationarily and the stirrers or mixers are oscillated in the manner described with reference to the movements of the vessel. The vessel may be varied in shape and size and the means for oscillating the same may be varied according to requirements and such mechanism can be readily arranged to move the vessel for variable distances and for a variable length of time.

Having thus described a single embodiment of the invention, it is obvious that the same is not to be restricted thereto, but is broad enough to cover all structures coming within the scope of the annexed claims.

What I claim is:

1. A method of eliminating air bubbles from a viscous material which comprises providing a vessel containing said material, rotating at least one stirrer in said material, oscillating said vessel about a vertical axis, said stirrer being at a side of said axis, said oscillation being in one direction in a plurality of discontinuous movements over substantially a full revolution, then oscillating said vessel in the opposite direction in a plurality of discontinuous movements shorter than said first movements, and repeating said movements, whereby air bubbles are eliminated from said liquid by rising to the surface thereof.

2. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that said liquid is stirred at an area off at one side of said axis.

3. A method according to claim 2, characterized in that said stirring is in a plane which is at an angle to said axis other than a right angle.

4. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that said vessel is oscillated, said stirrer having a rotation free from movements of said vessel, said vessel oscillating While said stirrer is rotating without oscillation.

5. An apparatus for eliminating air bubbles in a viscous mixture during the mixture of such material comprising, a vessel containing the material to be mixed, mixing means operative within the vessel, and means for oscillating the vessel back and forth around its axis while causing the vessel to travel progressively in one direction and while the mixing means is in operation, said oscillating means adapted to move said vessel in discontinuous movements in one direction and in different discontinuous movements Patented Aug. 10, 1965' in the opposite direction, said mixing means being a rotatable stirrer in said mixture 011 center from said axis.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that the axis of said stirrer is at an angle to the vertical other than a right angle. V r I I 7. Apparatus according to claim-6, characterized in that a second stirrer is located on the same side of said axis as said first stirrer, at a different level, and its axis-is substan tially parallel to said oscillating axis.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,913,189 6/33 Carbonel 259l02 2,054,666 9/36 Guilder 25984 2,404,380 7/46 Jensen 259l02 X Thiel 259l02 X Williams 25984 Misic 25985 Reilfen 25984 Ernst 259--134 Chapin 6823 X Messbauer 259134 Gill et al 684 De Vault 259131 Menken 25991 X Pike 25975 X Norris 259134 X CHARLES A. WILLMUTH, Primary Examiner. 

5. AN APPARATUS FOR ELIMINATING AIR BUBBLES IN A VISCOUS MIXTURE DURING THE MIXTURE OF SUCH MATERIAL COMPRISING, A VESSEL CONTAINING THE MATERIAL TO BE MIXED, MIXING MEANS OPERATIVE WITHIN THE VESSEL, AND MEANS FOR OSCILLATING THE VESSEL BACK AND FORTH AROUND ITS AXIS WHILE CAUSING THE VESSEL TO TRAVEL PROGRESSIVELY IN ONE DIRECTION AND WHILE THE MIXING MEANS IS IN OPERATION, SAID OSCILLATING MEANS ADAPTED TO MOVE SAID VESSEL IN DISCONTINUOUS MOVEMENTS IN ONE DIRECTION AND IN DIFFERENT DISCONTINUOUS MOVEMENTS IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION, SAID MIXING MEANS BEING A ROTATABLE STIRRER IN SAID MIXTURE OFF CENTER FROM SAID AXIS. 